Stochastic Electron Acceleration in Obliquely Propagating Electromagnetic Waves

Abstract

Stochastic electron acceleration in intense electromagnetic waves, propagating obliquely to an ambient magnetic field, is considered. It is shown that when the waves' parallel phase velocities are supraluminous, the Hamiltonian surfaces are topologically open and, as a consequence, electrons can gain large energies. The results indicate that state-of-the-art, ground-based rf transmitters can accelerate ionospheric electrons to multimegaelectronvolt energies.